Ground protection covers

ABSTRACT

A ground protection cover for golf course greens which is made up of a plurality of flat panels, each comprising a translucent envelope of synthetic plastics material which contains expanded polystyrene in granule or flat slab form, the polystyrene having a maximum thickness of 1 inch so that it will not be too heavy as to damage the grass on which it will be used and so that sunlight can pass through the panels to enable the turf to grow whilst the cover is in position.

United states Patent n91 Webster et al. [451 Feb. '4, 1975 GROUND PROTECTION COVERS 2,834,970 5/1958 Nappe 5/344 [761 Jeeeeh Webeeeee Deeeee Weber 3533??? 211323 32322511111111:...,.,... .::::1::i /Z1 both of 39 Jenkin Ln., Horburg, e

Wakefield, England I P E A O O -h l rimary xaminer nton ec s e [22] Flled' 3 Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown [2]] A N 330,573 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Louis Orenbuch Related U.S. Application Data 4 e [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 122,975, March 10,-1971, [57] .ABSTRACT abandoned. v

. g A ground protection cover for golf course greens [52] U.S. Cl 47/29, 273/DIG. 2, 272/3, which is made up of a plurality-of flat panels, each 5/344, 273/32 R; comprising a translucent envelope of synthetic plastics [51] Int. Cl.... A63cl9/12; 'material which contains expanded polystyrene in gran- [58] Field of Search 273/27, DIG. 2; 272/59 R, ule or flat slab form, the polystyrene having a maxi- 272/60; 47/7, DIG. 7, 9, 29, 56; 5/344; 52/4,. mum thickness of 1 inch so that it will not be too 5, 13, 23 heavy as to damage the grass on which it will be used and so that sunlight can pass through the panels to en- [56] References Cited. able the turf to grow whilst the cover is in position.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Cl 2 D 2,738,834 3/1956 Jaffe et al. 5/344 x raw'ng l i l J 1" e A i I I ll I I l i l '7 f !I:. i:: :T/J

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6 I 6 6 I I I t I I I I p "V- L-"/ e (P 4 6 2 1 4 g 6 J {if/7771777717777)! Z5 1 GROUND PROTECTION COVERS This invention relates to weather and ground protection covers, and is a Continuation of our co-pending application Ser. No. 122,975 filed Mar. 10, 1971 (since abandoned).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION .The invention is particularly concerned with a ground protection cover for turfed areas, in particular putting greens, especially the putting greens of golf courses. 1

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART A ground cover is already known which comprises a substantially rectangular resilient body of foamed inert synthetic material which is totally enclosed within a waterproof envelope, the depth of the body decreasing continuously and uniformly from one edge to an opposite edge thereof in such manner that when the unit is laid flat on a horizontal surface the unit drains to the said other edge. This ground cover is in fact a bedding unit for cattle and is designed to support cattle and also to cause water or other liquid to shed therefrom to prevent the cattle from lying on such liquid.

The cover varies in thickness from 3 inches to 1 /2 inches and therefore is fairly robust to support cattle.

In another known arrangement, a mattress for supporting the human body is made up of a plurality of envelopes, each containing a fibrous mass therein so that each envelope can provide resilient body support; it is essential that the thickness of the envelopes be sufficient so that each mat is sufficiently large and is adapted individually to support a major portion of the body, this implying substantial thickness.

In a third known arrangement a ground protection envelope is inflated to provide a thermal barrier to frost and other weather conditions. However, for storage of this device, deflation and re-inflation are required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The maintenance of-the greens of golf courses is, as is well known, a problem, which requires a large green staff, to keep under control. The problem is greater the more exclusive and manicured is the folf courses. For example, at a golf course such as AUGUSTA in Florida, tremendous care and attention must be paid to the greens especially immediately preceding the Masters Golf Championship. Furthermore, members of such golf courses are not allowed to play on the greens if they are in any way frosted over. In many parts of the United States of America, golf greens are frosted over or contain frost to as late as 10 o clock in the morning or even to midday. This of course means that members, who may be very influential, wealthy and/or famous people, may become very annoyed at having to Wait for the frost to clear before they can play golf, or they may have to forego playing altogether'on any particular day.

Thus, there is a constant struggle between golf club members and greenkeepers, the former of which demand to be allowed toplayed on frosted greens, and the latter of which refusing to allow play on frosted greens because of the possible damage thereto.

Our invention is concerned with a cover for protecting golf greens from frost. We appreciate that there are known ground covers asdiscussed above, but the problem of providing an acceptable ground cover for imgrass, and in the case of the inflated envelope there' would be areas of local pressure in the turf due'to the inflated bulging of the envelope which would lead to stinted grass growth. Furthermore, an inflated envelope has been found to have insufficient heat retaining or shielding properties satisfactorily to protect the turf.

With the present invention, we have provided a I ground protection cover which is acceptable to greenkeepers for use in protecting their greens and comprises a plurality of flat panels each comprising an envelope of synthetic plastics material which contains expanded polystyrene in granule or slab form, each envelope being transparent to sunlight, and the expanded polystyrene being of a maximum thickness of 1 inch to permit the passage of sunlight therethrough so that the panel can be used to protect turfed areas, whilst allowing sunlight to the grass, and being light enough to permit growth of the grass whilst the cover is in position.

The panels are preferably joined edge to edge at peripheral regions of the panels. The peripheral region of each panel may be defined by forming each envelope of two sheets of synthetic plastics which are welded together at the edges. Such peripheral regions may furthermore have eye holes which the panels may be pegged to the ground to hold same in position. A single panel may be made up of two sheets of synthetic plastics material welded together to create two distinct and polystyrene filled chambers.

The polystyrene filling is preferably white polystyrene and the envelope is of a translucent material, which may be tinted green if desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a panel of a cover according to the invention and also shows, in dotted lines how other similar panels are joined together to form a complete cover; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the cover shown in FIG. 1, the section being taken on the line AA of FIG. 1.

The panel shown in the accompanying drawing comprises two rectangular sheets I, 2 of polythene, the sheets being of identical size and being translucent to sunlight. The polythene may be tinted green as the panels are for use on golf greens, but must still be transparent to sunlight.

The polythene sheets 1, 2 are welded together around their peripheral regions 3 and along a strip 3A which bisects the sheets 1 and 2, so as to define between the two sheets two spaced and separate compartments, each of which is filled with a flat expanded polystyrene slab 4 which also allows the passage of sunlight therethrough. To achieve this, the maximum thickness shanks 7.

ln the sealed peripheraledge furthermore, there 'ar provided holes having protective eyelets therein so thatthe panels can besecured together'to form the complete cover and also be pegged to the ground to hold thecover 'inposition, by pegs 6 havingtwisted The use of a cover made up of panels as described will prevent the formation of frost on golf greens and furthermore because of its lightness and its permeability to sunlight, will not hamper the growth of the turf or damagethe grass.

The material of .the sheets 1, 2 may be other than polythene;'for example, it could be of polyvinyl chloride.

The panel may bemade with bigger sheets 1, 2 sealed to define more than two compartments, or the sheets may define only a single compartment which is filled with the polystyrene foam.

Expanded polystyrene granules may be used instead of the slab, but again the thickness of the layer of gran- 1. A flat panel usable as or in' a turf protection cover, comprising an envelope of synthetic plastics material which contains expanded polystyrene, suchenvelope beingtransparent to sunlight and the expanded polystyrene being of a maximum thickness of 1 inch to permit the passage of sunlight therethrough so that the panel can be used to protect turfted areas, whilst allowing sunlight to the grass, and being light enough to permit growth of the grass whilst the cover is in position, said envelope being formed of two sheets of synthetic plastics which are welded together at the edges and wherein the peripheral region defined by said edges has eye holes by which thepanel may be pegged to the groundto hold same in position.

ules, will not exceed 1 inch in order to permit sunlight penetration therethrough.

A ground protection panel as'described with reference to the drawings and of which the thickness of the polystyrene layer is approximately 1 inch has been tested by a golf green expert in the UnitedStates of America and such expert endorses that the panel is eminently suitable for the protection of turf and does not, to the best of his knowledge, cause any damage to the turf. Such expert has also confirmed that the prior art proposals would be totally unsuitable for the protection of golf greens.

We claim:

2. A turf protection cover comprising a plurality of flat panels each comprising an envelope of synthetic plastics material containing expanded polystyrene in slab form such envelope being transparent to sunlight,

and the expanded polystyrene slab being of a maximum thickness of 1 inch to permit the passage of sunlight therethrough so that the panel can be used to protect turfed areas, whilst allowing sunlight to the grass, and

, being light enough to permit growth of the grass whilst plastics material which are welded together at the edges, and wherein said peripheral regions have eye holes by which the panels may be pegged to the ground to hold same in position. 

2. A turf protection cover comprising a plurality of flat panels each comprising an envelope of synthetic plastics material containing expanded polystyrene in slab form, such envelope being transparent to sunlight, and the expanded polystyrene slab being of a maximum thickness of 1 inch to permit the passage of sunlight therethrough so that the panel can be used to protect turfed areas, whilst allowing sunlight to the grass, and being light enough to permit growth of the grass whilst the cover is in position, said panels being joined together edge to edge at peripheral regions of the panels and the peripheral region of each panel being defined by forming each envelope in two sheets of synthetic plastics material which are welded together at the edges, and wherein said peripheral regions have eye holes by which the panels may be pegged to the ground to hold same in position. 